Prepositions in Penang Hokkien

Prepositions are words used to express the location of an item or person. The prepositions in Penang Hokkien include ti1, ka1 and hor33. Ti1, which means "at", is the only preposition to show location. It corresponds to "di" in Malay. It is often used with the verb tua3, which means "to live" or "is located", to form "to live at" or "is located at". As the sentences correspond very closely to the Malay sentence construction, I will also add Malay in parenthesis.

1. ti1

Ti1 is a catch all that translates roughly as at, in or over. It corresponds to "di" in Malay.

2. Tua3 ti1

Tua3 ti1 can mean "to be located at" as well as "to live in", and has to be understood based on context.

3. Prepositional Adverbs

Prepositional Adverbs are used to express location. They are known as such because they modify the verb. In both English and Penang Hokkien, they follow the verb (which technically means they should be known as "postpositional adverbs", but I haven't come across such a term.) For example, in the sentence "we sit inside", and in Penang Hokkien, "wah1lang2 ceh3 lai33bin33", the prepositional adverbs are inside and lai33bin33, In Penang Hokkien, many of these prepositional adverbs include the word -peng2 which on its own means "side", as in "on the right side", and bin33, which on its own means "face".

Prepositional adverbs with -peng2 or bin33-peng2 can often be translated as "on the ..."

4. Postpositions

While preposition appear in front of their complement in English, for example "in front of the house", in Penang Hokkien they appear after their complement, "ti1 chu3-eh3 thau3ceng2". Due to this location, the precise term for them is postpositions. (Prepositions, postpositions and circumpositions are known collectively as adpositions, but some linguists use the word "preposition" instead of "adpositions" for all three.)

Object of Preposition is expressed in Penang Hokkien by suffixing -eh3 to the object followed by the postposition. Thus, "on the table" comes out in Penang Hokkien as "tok1teng4-eh3 teng1bin33."

English Preposition

Penang Hokkien Postposition

In + object

(Object)-eh3 lai3bin33

On/Above + object

(Object)-eh3 teng1bin33

In front of + object

(Object)-eh3 thau3ceng2

Behind + object

(Object)-eh3 au3bin33

Outside + object

(Object)-eh3 gua3bin33

Under/Below + object

(Object)-eh3 eh3tay4

Centre + object

(Object)-eh3 teong3ng1

Observe how the sentences below are constructed with prepositions in English and postpositions in Penang Hokkien.

My father is inside the house

Wah4-eh3 Pa3pa1 ti1 chu3-eh3 lai33bin33.

I stood in front of my house

Wah4 khia33 ti1 wah1-eh3 chu3-eh3 thau3ceng2.

The apple is on the table.

Pheng3ko4 ti1 tok1teng4-eh3 teng1bin33.

The table is in between the two chairs.

Tok1teng4 ti1 nor3-leh3 kau3ie4-eh3 teong3ng1

The table is in the middle of the room.

Tok1teng3 ti1 pang3keng1-eh3 teong3ng1.

Your money is in my wallet.

Lu4-eh3 lui1 ti1 wah4-eh3 lui3pau1-eh3 lai33bin33.

The spoon is beside the bowl.

Thau3keong1 ti1 wna4-eh3 pni1nya4.

There is a cow behind her house.

Uh33 cit3-ciak1 gu2 ti1 ee1-eh3 chu3-eh3 au33bin33.

My dog is under the table.

Wah4-eh3 kao4 ti1 tok1teng4-eh3 eh3teh4.

The shop is on the right side of the main road.

Heh1-leh1 tiam3 ti1 tua33kae33lor33-eh3 cnia1chiu1-peng2.

5. Prepositional phrase, "at the foot of ..."

The word kha1 ("foot") is used in prepositional phrases such as tok1teng1 kha1 ("under the table"), chang3 kha1 (under the tree; lit., "at the foot of the tree), snua3 kha1 (at the base of the hill/mountain; lit., "at the foot of the hill/mountain").

She is reading under the tree.

Ee1 thak3chaek3 ti1 cang3 kha1.

We will wait for you at the base of the mountain.

Wah1lang2 tan4 lu4 ti1 snua3 kha1.

There's a dog under the bed.

Uh33 cit3-ciak1 kao4 ti1 bin3cherng3 kha1.

6. The preposition Ka3

The preposition ka3 (not to be confused with the conjunction kah1) means "to" or "with". It is always used in prepositional phrases inserted between the subject and the verb. Lu4 ka3 wah1 kong4.
You tell me (literally, You say to me)

Jack khee1 paek1 snua1 ka1 Jill.
Jack went climbing the hill with Jill.

compare it to: Lu4 kah1 wah4 ka3 ie1 kong4.
You and I tell him (literally, You and I say to him).

Jack kah1 Jill khee1 paek1 snua1.
Jack and Jill went climbing the hill.

7. The preposition Hor3

The preposition hor33 means "for". Wah1 co3 hor3 lu4.
I do for you.

Hor33 often appear in a number of verb phrases, including:

1. to tell (someone): kong4 hor33 (someone) thnia1 (literally "say for someone to hear")
   
   
2. to show (someone): co3 hor33 (someone) khnua3 (literally "do for someone to look at")
   
   

Ee1 kong4 hor33 wah1 thnia1.
She told me.

Ee1 co3 hor33 wah1lang2 khnua3.
She showed us / She demonstrated to us.

Hor33 is used to create the passive voice, in which case it means "by". Kao4 ka3 wah4.
The dog bit me. (active voice)

Wah1 hor3 kao4 ka3.
I was bitten by the dog. (passive voice)

8. Directions

8.1 Prepositions (also regarded here as directional adverbs) such as in (jip1) and out (chut3) are often used with verbs such as go (khee3) and come (lai2.

(go) in/into

jip1 (khee3) [dzip-k^hi]

Ie1 jip1 khee3 heh1-leh1 chu3.
He goes into the house.

(go) out

chut2 (khee3) [ts^hut-k^hi]

Ie1 chut3 khee1 choay3 ciak1.
He went out to look for food.

(come) in

jip3 (lai2) [dzip-lai]

To3long3 mm33thang3 jip3 lai2 kokh3.
Please don't come in yet.

(come) out

chut3 (lai2) [ts^hut-lai]

To3long3 chut3 lai2 tha1na1.
Please come out now.

(go) up

khi4 (khee2) [k^hi-k^hi]

Ie1 paek3 khi4 cang2 kuan3-kuan1.
He climbed very high up the tree.
(The word khee3 is optional here as there is already another verb, paek3, to climb in the sentence.)

Ee1 khi4 khee3 lau3teng4.
She goes upstairs.

(come) up

khi4 (lai2) [k^hi-lai]

Mm33thang3 khi4 lai2 a33si33 lu4-eh3 kha1
la3sam2.
Don't come up if your feet are dirty.

(go) down

lok1 (khee2) [lok-k^hi]

Heh1-leh1 gin1na4 puat3to4 lok1 khee3 khang1.
That child fell into a hole.

Geographical directions are applied with places to the north are placed "above" those to the south. Similarly, the downtown and city centre are regarded directionally as "down" whereas the outskirts are "up".

Wah4 lok1 khee3 Ipoh.
I went down to Ipoh.

Ie1 khi4 lai2 Penang.
He came up to Penang.

Wah1lang2 boek1 lok1 khee3 pho3tay4.
We are going down to town (to the city centre).

(come) down

lok4 (lai2) [lok-lai]

Ie1 paek3 khi4 cang2 liau4 be33hiau1 lok1 lai2.
He climbed up the tree and now do not know how to come down.

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